THEATRES AND MUSIC.
Both the Italian Operas have failed in producing certain novelties pro- mised in the course of the past week.
At Her Majesty's Theatre, Mademoiselle Schwartz, the contralto who is said to have been recommended to Mr. Lumley by Jenny Lind, and is described as possessing youth, beauty and high talent, was to have appeared on Thursday, as Orsini in Luerezia Borgia. But the indisposition of Mademoiselle Crnvelli prevented the production of that piece, and con- strained Mr. Lumley to fall back upon the worn-out Nino. Lablache, who was to have made his first appearance this season in the character of the Duke of Ferrara, one of his great displays of tragic power, did appear, but under a very different aspect. After the opera, he sang, with his son, the duet " Se fiato in corpo aveta," from the Matrimonio Segreto; and kept the audience in fits of laughter by the exuberance of his Neapo- litan lazzi, which, unwarranted as they are by the subject and situation, are irresistibly ludicrous. His reception must have been very gratifying to his feelings—he was hailed on his entrance in a manner which sounded as if the whole audience were welcoming a personal friend of every indi- vidual present, rather than a mere favourite of the public. Luerezia Borgia, with Lablaohe and Mademoiselle Schwartz, is an- nounced for this evening. At Covent Garden there has been a succession of disappointments, which would seem to indicate that the arrangements do not go on smoothly. Alboni was to have appeared on Thursday in the Cenerentola; but the announcement was silently withdrawn, and Don Giovanni substituted. In- disposition could not have been the cane, for the lady was seen the same evening in the boxes. Then Grisi was taken ill some two or three hours before the time of performance, and the part of Donna Anna was suddenly thrown upon Castellon; who showed good-nature in under-
taking a part in which, under such circumstances, she could not, but appear to disadvantage. The performance had other drawbacks: Persiani is unfortunately very unequal, and it was not one of her happy nights; and Rovere's Leporello was spoiled by the remembrance of Lablacbe. Made- moiselle Corbari, on the other hand, had great success as Elvira; and Tam- burini, as the hero, remains unrivalled. I Puritani stands for this evening. Nut a word of Alboni.
There has been no novelty whatever at the other theatres; some of which were closed on Monday night, on account of the " political excite- ment " anticipated, but reopened on Tuesday.
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